All America lies at the end of the wilderness road, and our past is not a dead past,
but still lives in us. Our forefathers had civilization inside themselves, the wild
outside. We live in the civilization they created, but within us the wilderness still
lingers. What they dreamed, we live, and what they lived, we dream. - T. K.
Whipple
Stories in general, and mythologies in particular, allow us to explore the
complexities of life, death, and the human experience in a nuanced way. This is, no
doubt, why Christ spoke to the masses in parables. Myths, however, run deeper than
simple narrative; they are formative for us as individuals and as communities as we
examine the world around us. Even the myths from which we are far removed culturally
and temporally captivate us in ways that mere facts cannot. Myths bridge the gap
between impersonal, abstract concepts and the more personal experience of daily life. As
we each look for our own niche in the world, a place we can call home, it is clear that
mythology is essential.